Berkeley Bionics to launch eLEGS

Berkeley Bionics, which launched its first human exoskeletons a few years ago (see video above), is holding a much-anticipated press conference at 10:30 a.m. today. It will unveil eLEGS, an advanced exoskeleton that will allow wheelchair-bound people to walk.

Berkeley Bionics grew out of academic work at the Berkeley Robotics & Human Engineering Lab at the university. The company’s founder and chief scientist, Homayoon Kazerooni, is a professor of mechanical engineering at Berkeley. In advance of the much-heralded launch today, Berkeley Bionics seems to have hidden everything on its website behind an enigmatic countdown clock. A Google cache of the site, however, shows much more of the background.

The company will livestream the eLEGS launch on its website.

(An aside: I’m pretty sure the video above was shot on the path around Lake Anza in Tilden Park. Can anyone confirm that?)

Update: The livestream from the press conference is poor. But here’s a video of the product. Pretty extraordinary:

Become a member

Stories like this are made possible through your support. Become a member by contributing any amount, and be part of the future of independent, local journalism.